Posts

Cole found the coffee, ground the beans, and soon the room was filled with its rich redolence as it perked. Without help, he also located the cups, cream, and spoons. He searched for something to go with the coffee—Granny Mae was right, they had to eat. The best he found was a loaf of bread and a square of butter on a saucer. Jessica hadn’t been wrong about her lack of food.

But then as Amy had often reminded him, Jess had never had much talent in the kitchen.

He’d never cared.Although the bread looked more like scraps by the time he’d butchered it, he was glad for the distraction. But he could feel Jessica’s eyes on his back as he puttered.

“Eat your sandwich,” he said over his shoulder. “The coffee’s about ready.”Satisfied to see her nibbling on the chicken, he balanced the cups, coffee pot and other stuff to carry to the table. He’d never had much talent in the kitchen, either.“Sorry about the bread,” he muttered, putting it down.Jessica looked…

Watch and listen as adorable children pose real questions about Santa and his mysterious workshop. Mrs. Claus takes a break from her very busy schedule to answer and invites readers on a tour of the North Pole. Learn some of the best-kept secrets of Christmas from the person who knows it all.

If you’ve ever been baffled by questions like “How does Santa get into houses that don’t have chimneys?” and “Where do elves come from?” then sit down with your precocious child and share MRS. CLAUS EXPLAINS IT ALL. Her answers are precisely what inquisitive children want to know come Christmas!

Luminous illustrations by David Wenzel, bestselling illustrator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, accompany this enhanced e-book, which contains the full original text as well as fun and engaging audio that elevates the reader experience for…

What do you want to know today? How about “Six Works of Literature That Were Really Hard to Write?” or “Moons of the non-Gluteal Variety”. This book can tell you all that and so much more! In a really funny compilation of various subjects the folks at Mental_Floss tell us of things odd and odder but all interesting.

The introduction in itself is worth a chuckle or two and the following chapters make this a great gift for anyone on your Christmas list you haven’t shopped for yet. After all, where else can you find out about Bumpy, Hickey, Chesty and Seven Other Rejected Dwarf Names? If not for someone else, treat yourself, you’ll enjoy it thoroughly

How well do you think you know your inner child? Now’s the time to test your knowledge! Visit the mental_floss Facebook page to take a quiz testing your knowledge and be entered to win a special mental_floss prize package!

This quiz is inspired by mental_floss: The Book: The Greatest Lists in the History of Listory, available no…

Imagine a world where you lived in a gated community. It was you and your closest friends and neighbors. Sounds nice…so what is the catch? The catch is that you can not venture outside of the walls. For what lies beyond the walls are the remains of another world, where other friends and family may have once resided but they have all turned into zombies. Welcome to Eden.

While, I don’t really judge a book by its cover, I admit that the cover for this book was a bit corny and so, I thought the story would be as well. Nope, the story was better than I expected it to be. While, there were some flaws, I did find myself drawn to the main character Harris. He was just a normal guy, trying to survive. He was smart and had a good personality. Some of the other characters I did find uninteresting and this did take away from the story.

On that note, there was a lot of jumping around between the time lines of past and present and many different characters coming at me that in beginning I was conf…

In an aptly named book, Liz Adair addresses why we shouldn’t go by first impressions and how, in a small town in the Pacific Northwest called Limestone things aren’t nearly as odd as they seem.

Except for some of them. Mandy Steenburg, well-educated young administrator has been hired by the town of Limestone to manage their School District. A new adventure, well-timed for her departure from a married man who won’t take no as an answer and the opportunity to get out of Albuquerque. She expects Limestone kids (and parents) to be typical small town kids and they are, to a point.

Her first welcome isn’t. Glares, sneers, small whispered conversations and a total lack of respect greet her. They all want the “old administrator”, Grange, who is now the Assistant to Mandy, back in the saddle and aren’t afraid to let her know that. She tries her best but it isn’t good enough.

Then things start happening. She rents a beautiful cabin from the manager of the town “C” store and immediat…

From Tuesday December 13th – Friday December 30th the following eBooks will be priced at $1.99 at all online e-tailers. Whether you like Darcy as a tortured vampire, a modern day rock star, a Texas rancher or anything and everything in between! There truly is a Darcy for everyone!

Review by NancyIn this oddly thought out book, Jonathan Chamberlain tells us many stories. There are brothers Joe and Jack; Joe’s friend Wash; several women who die sadly; a Vietnamese poetess named Ho Xoan Houng who wrote beautiful poems for us; Maddie, Benjy and Alice.

Joe dies purposefully. He did it himself. Dove under a train. It usually works well and did this time, too. Jack is delivered a set of notes that completely changes his hum-drum existence. “Go find Maddie and my baby and get them away from Wash before they die.” Pretty straight forward.

Well, Jack found Wash, Maddie and barely more than a zygote Benjy in the hills of the Eastern Mountains. Maddie was a slave to Wash and to Joe. She wanted to escape and it was up to Jack to make that happen. However – it didn’t quite work that way. Jack wants to learn what Vietnam did to his brother but doesn’t particularly want to know what Joe did in Vietnam. He learns anyhow.

Review by NancyWhen you work in Singapore, a lot of friends and business associates believe in Luck. Good luck, bad luck, luck of all kinds is sent you by spirits and affects how your life runs.

Ursula Formosa, formerly of the UK but born in Asia; has skipped to Malay. She leaves behind no love life, deceased parents and has enough to “get by”. But she didn’t like to be idle so picks up a job from Fiona Li at the Check Your Luck Agency. Problems with a lease? Lover dumps you cold? Things that go bump in the night? Ursula is on it for you!

She actually can see things that you and I can’t but has tried her entire life to ignore them. Seems as though her boss and a co-worker knows she can see things but they don’t discuss it. Fiona does, however; put Ursula into a rather odd situation as co-partner of a new television show called “Hunting Hantu”. “Ghost Hunters.” Her anchor in this endeavor is a much-sought after male model named Shariff Kadir. Once she meets him, she knows why everyone wa…

When your first introduction to someone is being tackled you in the middle of a meteor crater, it may give you pause. Or, if you happen to be Dr. Carin Gonzales; you turn around and whack them upside the head before asking “why?” Jake Sabio heard the fragment of space before it was visible and felt the need to ground everyone around him.

Something in the fragment changed them all. No one but Jake and Carin would handle the change and they were dying as well, only slower. They just may die of “lead poisoning” before the new disease kills them as they are now being hunted by the CIA, and a very elusive killer named Crowbar.

Backstories have Jake’s children and ex-wife killed by Crowbar as a way to take out her new husband in his “master plan” to control the CIA and all of its various parts. Carin has worked with MI (Mechanical Intelligence) and has reconstructed a robot named Fred who is much more advanced that R2-D2 (and smaller). Jake has justice on his side and Carin has…

Gwen and her boyfriend, Richard have been dating for a while, Gwen has a feeling that Richard is going to propose to her on her birthday. Instead of a ring, Gwen receives a pair of pearl earrings. After Gwen’s Aunt learns that Richard did not propose to Gwen, she figures that this is the best time to tell Gwen that she and Gwen will be traveling to Europe. There is just one catch. Gwen and her Aunt will be joined by Gwen’s Aunt’s S and M club members.

While in Europe, Gwen meets Emerson. Emerson is teaching Gwen the finer things to life and all that Europe has to offer.

I enjoyed this book. It had all the things I liked about Mrs. Brant…humor, interesting characters, and a scenic location. I was laughing at the antics of Gwen’s Aunt’s S and M club. It just goes to show you that no matter what age you are, you can be into S and M (sudoku and mah-jongg that is).

In the beginning, I was not feeling Gwen so much. She was in Europe and all she wanted to do is complain and compare the dashing,…

Maggie Larkin was trying her hardest to put up with reality, rich snob, Rafe de Luca but he touched her butt one too many times. Plus, Rafe’s comment about the Larkin sisters has made Maggie see red. The next thing Maggie is giving Rafe a bloody nose.

Cal Drummond was watching Rafe. He knew what Maggie was going to do before she did it but he was too late to stop her. Cal makes his way to Maggie and rushes her out of the bar before the paparazzi get to her. Cal has been tracking Rafe for a while. It seems that one of Rafe’s hobbies involves killing the women that he has been with. One of those women is Cal’s sister. Cal will not let the same fate fall upon Maggie.

What I like most about Mrs. Ambrose’s books is her humor. Maggie was the one that brought the laughs. She did it with her strong personality when it came to Cal. She never would admit when Cal was right. She always had to put in her two cents and this would cause for some entertaining, witty banter. The romance between Cal and…

Merry Christmas Stories is a fun, quick, festive anthology. I did not read all the stories but the ones I did, I enjoyed a lot. My favorite stories would have to be the first two…Santa’s Missing and Santa’s Found. I just loved Helen. She was full of spunk and so much wiser than her eight years. Nick made a good Santa. I almost cried as the story was sweet and had the right amount of holiday spirit. The other stories followed along the same line. They had good characters and great stories. Some stories sad, others funny, ones with romance, and all about the Christmas cheer. Whether you forgot how to celebrate or are in the mood for some excellent story telling, than you should check our Merry Christmas Stories. Even better, treat a friend to a copy as well. This anthology will make the perfect Christmas gift.

About Jeff R. Spalsbury

Jeff R. Spalsbury also writes science fiction and western novels. Avalon Press published his western novel, Hunt the Hunter, in December 2010 and the second …

Jayne is possessed with a demon. Her and Ex are in search of some priests to help perform an exorcism on Jayne. While, Jayne does not want the demon or likes the thought of if the demon was to completely take over, Jayne does have some mixed feelings about the exorcism. Jayne’s friends want to help but she pushes them away for their safety.

To fully appreciate this series, you really need to read these books in chorological order starting with book one, Unclean Spirits. There is not a lot of prior information to catch you up on what has been happening in the series if you were to jump into the middle. Though, I am sure you would figure out what events took place fairly quickly.

While, I have enjoyed this series, this book for me started out slowly. The first half of the book was more about Jayne and Ex trying to find a way to rid Jayne of the demon inside of her. There was a lot of conversing and not a lot of action. Though, I did like learning more about Ex’s past and who he was befo…

We should define “vair” to begin with: Vair is an ornamental fur allowed in heraldry. Anyone wearing them who is not royalty could be put to death. Interesting title for a book, right?

Vair is one interesting story. Someone, who may or may not be possessed by Henry VIII is killing all septs of the Plantagenet throne in 2010! This person is using antique weaponry and the victims could be listed as murdered by medieval means – beheading, etc.

For the FBI and the British Royal Protection Squad the crimes are a nightmare. Especially when occurring in the presence of the Prince. Not to mention the Vice-President of the United States.

John Taylor’s friend Dr. Samuels called him in a panic. His daughter has been murdered and no one will tell him anything – can John help? Help he does but this only makes things most confusing. They get even worse when Taylor and his partner are joined by Father Salemi.

Antiquitas LostThe Last of the ShamalansBy Robert Louis SmithPublished by Medlock PublishingDecember 1, 2011; $US/$CAN; 978-0-470-82239-5

DescriptionFrom American cardiologist Robert Louis Smith comes the unique fantasy novel Antiquitas Lost, peppered with more than 70 eye-popping illustrations by Marvel Comics legend Geof Isherwood. This epic fantasy tells the story of a 15 year old boy named Elliott, a bullied kid with deformities on his hands and feet who is uprooted from his home after his mother falls gravely ill. When they move to New Orleans so his grandfather can help care for her, Elliott learns that the old man's eighteenth century mansion hides an ancient secret. From a dungeon-like basement far beneath the estate, Elliott strays through an ancient doorway into Pangrelor, a tumultuous parallel world full of bizarre creatures and warring races. Unable to return home, he discovers wondrous abilities he never dreamed he possessed, and an abiding connection to the primitive,…

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have the powers to either save the world or let it rot in hell. This is Limos’s story.

Limos is a female horseman. She and her brothers are trying to stop their rogue brother, Pestilence and Limos’s fiancé Satan. Yes, Limos is betrothed to the man himself. Limos may not be a married woman yet but that does not mean that she is free to be with anyone.

Arik wants Limos. So when he gets her alone, he can not help himself. He steals a kiss from her. The next thing Arik knows, he is being dragged into the depths of hell. As punishment for kissing Limos, Arik is tortured over and over again. Can Limos save Arik before Satan claims Arik’s soul?

Immortal Rider is book two in the Lords of Deliverance series. Eternal Rider is book one. You don’t have to read these books in chronological order. This is a good thing as I have not read book one yet. I have read some of this author’s other books in her Demonica series. I found Mrs. Ione’s new series to be darker a…

Waverly and her friends are dealing with married life and new relationships. For Waverly, this is scary. Jake McIntyre is the first serious guy that Waverly has dated since her fiancé broke up with her. The stress of not wanting to mess things up with Jake is getting to Waverly and making her push Jake away. As if that was not enough. Waverly has to deal with a new job.

It’s a Waverly Life is book two of the Waverly Bryson books. I would recommend reading Perfect on Paper first. This book is focused on the after effects of what happened in the first one.

I didn’t find myself laughing as much in this book as I did with the first one but I still had a good time reading it. I loved Jake. I keep thinking he can not be a man but a saint to put up with Waverly. Waverly reminds me of Lucille Ball. Always finding herself inserting her foot or in some cases both feet into her mouth. I have to admit that while Waverly’sJoke was corny, I liked it.

Vanessa Michael Munroe is an informationist. She gathers information on criminals. To her targets she is a man and goes by either Michael or Munroe. Though, you would never remember Munroe if you saw her working in action. She is good at her job. This is why billionaire Burbank hires Munroe. His daughter, Emily has gone missing in Africa.

I so wanted to love this book but I couldn’t. I barely liked the book. I started reading this book and got a few chapters in. I put it down without my bookmark and forgot my place as I did not come right back to the book. Once, I did come back to the book, I read about one more page and than put it down. I was done with the book. Munroe was intriguing. I like what she does for a living. She is like a super cool spy but it takes more than just cool costumes and brain smarts to be a “super”. Munroe was lacking in the personality department. For me anyways. The story was dragging. Also, I have to agree with some of the other readers that Munroe’s “greatn…

In honor of Killing Rites, book four in the Black Sun's Daughter's series by M.L.N. Hanover, I have 1 complte set...Yes, one lucky winner will get to check out this series for themselves with receiving books 1-4.

Book SummaryJaynÉ Heller has discovered the source of her uncanny powers: something else is living inside her body. She's possessed. Of all her companions, she can only bring herself to confide in Ex, the former priest. They seek help from his old teacher and the circle of friends he left behind, hoping to cleanse JaynÉ before the parasite in her becomes too powerful.

Ex's history and a new enemy combine to leave JaynÉ alone and on the run. Her friends, thinking that the rider with her has taken the reins, try to hunt her down, unaware of the danger they're putting her in. JaynÉ must defeat the weight of the past and the murderous intent of another rider, and her only allies are a rogue vampire she once helped free and the nameless thing hiding inside her sk…

Thanksgiving at PlymouthIn September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.

Throughout that first brutal winter, most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring. In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where they…

I have to applaud Felicia. She is a hard worker. She practiced like crazy and is dedicated to her craft. Thus, it showed as Felicia was very good as Elphaba. I saw a video clip of Felicia performing. I wished I could have seen her live. I liked the behind the scenes detail of a musical. Felicia gave very good details. She did not leave much behind. Which in turn you may find some TMI (too much information) moments. Hey, this is Felicia’s memoir and she can say what she wants and she does.

While, I liked reading about what it takes to put together a musical, as I am a fan of musicals. They always have great songs to sing to. For myself, I was not laughing as much as the rest of the readers seemed to be when reading this book. Though, when I did laugh, I had a good chuckle. What I liked most about this book was Felicia’s writing style. She brought her fun, bubbly, personality to this book and made it interesting. Plus, I did not know there where that many different descriptions for the c…

Writing fascinates me. The very fact that my words on the page can touch emotion in a reader distanced from my physical presence by thousands of miles or the great reach of time, imbues writing with a mystical and almost magical quality. Reading inspires me much in the same way. It is really quite profound to be able to sit, years after a work was first birthed onto the page, and be able to enter the world the author has penned.

Writing, and reading, do not just transfer knowledge or concepts from one mind to another. They allow an interaction between two minds through the vehicle of words on a page. It is, in my opinion, the truest form of human intercourse available to us. One where we do not merely merge the body, but far beyond that, into a merging of two minds.

In a way, reading and writing is a link to the immortal path which belongs to the creative universe. Who has not read the work of a long-dead writer and heard and felt so clearly that wr…

Two Spuds was out riding the fence line for 8T8, when he decided to go into a shack to warm up as the temperature is dropping. Two Spuds approaches the shack, he smells a foul odor. He quickly discovers the source of the smell. It is a young girl. She has been raped and her throat slit. Two Spuds goes back to the main ranch and his boss, Eli Paint calls the sheriff, Tom Call.

Tom is enthralled by Eli’s young wife, Juanita. Soon, Tom and Juanita are having an affair. Things change when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Tom enlists in the Army Air Corps.

Mr. Jack Todd is a new to me author. After reading Mr. Todd’s latest book, Rain Falls Like Mercy, I plan to go back and check out his prior novels. I was spellbound by Mr. Todd’s writing. He is a prolific writer. He brought life to his characters. Had I known how much I was going to like this book, I would not have started it until I had cleared more time in my schedule. This is how it went…Crack open book, read a few chapters, which turn…

Victoria Lackey was not supposed to be alive. In fact the doctor who delivered her said she would not make it through the night. Victoria proved the doctor wrong. Sadly at the expense of her twin brother. It was six days later before her mom delivered her twin and he was dead upon arrival.

No matter how much Victoria tried to be a good daughter, her father resented her for being alive and not her brother. Victoria used to be a good dancer but something happened and she no longer dances. Victoria’s father was an abusiver. This is probably why Victoria puts up with her jerk of a boyfriend, Bobby. Things change for Victoria when her car breaks down and she starts hanging out with Elliot Spencer. Elliot moved from the city about a year ago. Victoria and Elliot form a friendship. Elliot is good for Victoria. He encourages her to be her “true” self and blossom into the dancer she was always meant to be.

No Story To Tell is a good debut from author, KJ Steele. I liked this book. I wished that …

John Puller works for the Army’s Criminal Investigation Unit. So whenever the Army is in need of the best to help solve a murder, they turn to John. This latest murder case is a gruesome one. A colonel and his family including two little children were slaughtered.

John is joined by local authority Samantha “Sam” Cole. Together they head down a path of deceit, greed and murder.

It has been several books since I have read one from Mr. Baldacci. I have to admit that this was not one of his strongest. Though, it still kept my interest and there was plenty of action. The adrenaline rush and the characters were what I found lackluster. John was not bad but the secondary characters did not pop off the pages at me. I wanted them to as this was the type of story that they needed to. I kind of went through the motions, reading this book but not really caring if the good guys came out on top. I did like Sam. She was tough and could hold her own with John. Don’t be expecting much romance between …

The small town of Parrish Springs is in an uproar when newcomer, Matilda Honeycutt arrives in town. She purchases the unoccupied old Barton building. This makes George Snider irate. He was going to purchase the building. Than Matilda has the nerve to board up the windows, so that no one can see what type of store she is opening. Rumor has it that it is going to be a thrift shop. None of the other merchants are happy about this.

With the town folks not happy, this is a problem for new city manager, Susanna Elton. Susanna likes Matilda but she can not allow her to open a thrift shop and cause ripples in the town.

Tommy runs the town’s newspaper, Spout. He is thinking about leaving after George makes him an offer. It has been a long time since Tommy has been in the holiday spirit. Something magical happens in Parrish Springs, when Matilda opens her Christmas Shoppe.

I had an enjoyable time reading this book. Matilda was great. She was a woman of few words but there was something delightful …

Review by NancyIn 1842, twenty years before the Civil War, people had their prejudices and had other wars as well. Lilburn Boggs, in his years as Governor of the State of Missouri had many prejudices and was an excellent helper in another war that a lot of folks don’t know about. Lilburn Boggs liked blacks far better than he liked Mormons and took every opportunity to banish them from his state; following them to Illinois to make sure they stayed gone.

He took every opportunity to torment the Mormons, holding Joseph Smith and others in basement jails, feeding them swill and conveniently “forgetting” about them many times - none more than Joseph as he was the Leader of the Saints. Gov. Boggs forgot a few things, though. He forgot the Danites (Smith’s army) were hard soldiers who would break anyone whom they felt threatened their cause.

It came as no surprise when someone tried to kill Boggs – it’s amazing it hadn’t happened before. Headlines screamed that he had been assassinated but the…

Three people, one dream. This dream had killed Erynne’s mother in a suicidal jump from a cliff. Shannon had had the dreams her whole life resulting in an unpleasant childhood for Erynne and an institution for Shannon. Erynne was her own woman but not. She was a major figure in the fashion world but shrank every night from dreams of a large man hunting her.

Michael was the wunderkind. Successful Senator, supposedly perfect husband and son but no one knew what lay beneath that exterior. His mother had a clue but she had always kept her opinions to herself because he wouldn’t listen anyway. Just like his father. Michael wasn’t all he was cracked up to be. But he was cracked.Colin had been having a dream for a while now, after his father passed away. He saw a woman begging him to “Protect her…” He didn’t know who her was but he was damned sure he was going to find out. His mother had lived her entire life with Colin’s father’s dreams and felt he was having an affair. It was …

It all started when Brooklyn Pierce’s parents went out of town to visit colleges with Brooklyn’s sister. Brooklyn and some friends had a party in one of Brooklyn’s mom’s model homes. The party got out of control and the house burned. Now Brooklyn has been sentenced to community service. Brooklyn feels like her life is over. She is stuck with Mrs. Moody. An elderly resident at the nursing home that Brooklyn is serving her community service at. All Mrs. Moody wants to do is make Brooklyn read her choose your own adventure stories. It is from these books that Brooklyn decides to start her own blog. Only her blog will be one where people can choose for Brooklyn what choices she makes. So if she makes a bad one than it will be the people’s fault. One of the most important choices is selecting between Hunter and Brian.

This book surprised me in a good way. It is not something that I would have typically chosen but the synopsis of the book is what got my interest. Writing a blog, where you le…

Sasha Porter came from no money. That all changed when Kiera March high on drugs ran into Sasha and her mother with her car. Unfortunately, Sasha’s mother was killed. Sasha was injured but than the March’s brought Sasha into their home. Mrs. March tried to turn Sasha into her other lost daughter. This upset Kiera to the point that she tried to kill Sasha.

Flash to the present. Kiera moved away. Sasha is still living with the March’s. Sasha is trying to get on with her life. Things just got more interesting. Ryder Garfield is the new guy in town.

Cloudburst is book two of the Storms books. I have not read book one but with the references in the beginning, it was not hard to quickly figure out what had happened and get caught up. I was excited to try out this new series as I have enjoyed VC Andrews’s books. To be honest, I found myself having a hard time getting into this book. I tried several times. I would read a few pages or even a chapter and than put it down. The story moved very slo…

Last Christmas hadn’t been ideal for Holly Winter and her family. She expected a wonderful gift from her husband – she got divorce papers instead. Then, in a fit of anger he dropped dead from a heart attack. She was out of a loveless marriage to an attorney and all should have been well but he had spent all their savings on other women and the leftovers were hidden somewhere that no one could turn up.

Brian McAlister didn’t want to be part of the DA’s office. His time in court was usually spent as a defense attorney (one of the best) but his father was very ill and he fulfilled his promise by stepping in on one of Dad’s cases that had stalled. His partner, Margo, was straight spoken but not straight and when they found out her sister, Holly, had taken care of one of their leads they were off to the hospital to invade her space.

An outright crook was trying to evade the law and doing a grand job until his co-horts started making mistakes. One person was supposed to be dead…

AJ and her friend and business partner, Elizabeth are in desperate need for funds. Fighting for the good guys is not cheap. That is why as much as AJ does not trust Owen Grandel, so is willing to make an exception this time. As everyone does have a price and for AJ it is one million dollars.

Owen and his brother, own Colleton Landing. Colleton Landing produces radioactive isotopes that doctors use to help diagnose and treat patients. Owen needs AJ to speak to the protestors and assure them that everything is ok with the plant. Though, there is more than meets the eye.

Ty Stillwater, sheriff’s deputy and AJ’s love interest along with Elizabeth will hold down the fort until AJ returns.

Hot Water is the second AJ Palladino novel from duo Erin Brockovich and CJ Lyons. It can be read as a stand alone novel. I enjoyed the first book, Rock Bottom but I really liked this book better. This is because I got to see more personality from AJ and became more familiar with the people in her…

I must admit that I have never heard of No Pudge! Foods. Though, when author Lindsay Frucci wrote me about reading her book, I was willing to give it a time for the fact that I enjoy reading about people starting their own businesses and how they did it.

I have to tell you that reading this book, Lindsay is a success story, even if the ending may not have been the one she was hoping for. I liked Lindsay’s drive and determination. She went from knowing virtually nothing about starting and operating a business to making No Pudge! Brownies a brand name.

It all started back in 1995, though a few years earlier than this. Back when Lindsay and her husband had to file for bankruptcy. Something that Lindsay never thought would happen to them. As no one hopes ever happens to them as well. Though it did. Lindsay’s husband found another job but for less money. Lindsay decided that she had to do something to help contribute to their financial situation. Lindsay racked her brain and could not really…

Sometimes a salesman must be whatever you need him to be. I often feel that way when I’m doing book store signings. Don’t get me wrong: I will never lie about my books just to make a sale. No one likes a huckster and I’ll always preserve my self-respect. The problem is that books can be so complex that a story isn’t any one thing and therefore doesn’t cater to any one audience. To add a positive twist, it offers something for everyone.

A trick I’ve learned is to use The Between Years as the centerpiece of my book display for the signings. The complicated reason for this is that I write numerous types of books, both young and adult, some gruesome and others quiet, and I’d rather not scare potential new readers off by letting them see the ‘scary’ stuff first. The simple answer is that The Between Years offers something for everyone.

For some of what I write, you need to be a horror fan to enjoy. That or you need to have a really open mind. The Between Years is much different in this respe…